Finding Treasure Ch 15 26

Chapter 15

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Allison Cook's POV

Mountains near Rancho Nelson, Baja California

Monday, August 10

th

, 2020

"

Tangos are one point two clicks to your northeast, coming up on the intersection. Hostile checkpoint."

I clicked on the transmit button for my CIA-supplied transceiver. "Roger, will use this time to catch up."

I checked the portable GPS screen on my left wrist and figured out the best route to keep us out of view. It wasn't easy, as the trees were sparse and the terrain rocky. "Keep moving below this ridge. They are coming up on another checkpoint."

Vic chuffed beneath me and changed course to the left slightly. I leaned a little to match him, still getting used to the feel of riding a werewolf on a saddle. The harness was styled like an English saddle, with a little padding for his backbone and stirrups for my legs to fit into. It included saddlebags for his clothes and weapons. For now, we were using four-paw drive. Vehicles would be too easy to spot and intercept, and wearing a beacon or a wire would be instant death if it was discovered. Veronica and Nathan had gone with the Cartel drivers alone and unarmed.

The only way to track them as they drove to the meeting with Joaquin Felix was by air, and that meant the CIA had to be involved. The Mexican government was still pissed off about the strike on the Sinaloa Cartel, so we weren't getting any local cooperation. The gear I got from the local CIA safe house allowed me to communicate with the drone pilot back in the States. The MQ-1 Predator wasn't a stealth model, so hopefully the Mexican Air Force wouldn't shoot it down before we were done. If we lost our eye in the sky, Nathan would be on his own.

I covered up the GPS transmitter and focused on staying upright. We were moving quickly along the slope. Vic's big paws were digging into the sand and his nails clicking on the rocks. Moonrise wasn't for another hour, so my eyes were useless after looking at the screen. I'd check our position again when the car was moving again.

I shook my head as I thought about where I was. A year ago, I was a senior FBI agent stuck in a field office in Minnesota. My career hadn't gone as I'd hoped; I'd promoted to supervisor, but the work was far from glamorous. I was putting in my time for retirement when a werewolf Pack north of Duluth suddenly revealed themselves to the world. The limited size of our office worked in my favor. Headquarters wanted eyes inside, the Pack wanted female agents, and everything changed. My partner, Lana Black, found her mate and later became a Beta at Arrowhead. She was happy now.

Me? I was playing barrel racer on a big-ass wolf, on a black bag assassination mission in a foreign country. This was CIA shit, but I'd drawn the short straw. It didn't even have the subtle veneer of legality. No, this was using civilians to murder a Cartel head.

Civilians I'd grown to admire and respect were being set up for the fall, and I didn't like it. A Predator drone could kill Felix, but that would point a finger back at the United States.

At least he deserved it. Anyone who could run a black-market organ harvesting ring got zero sympathy.

"

Tangoes are through the checkpoint, heading north on a dead-end road. Likely destination is the house or barn."

"Roger, will set up surveillance."

I tapped Vic's neck. "Stop somewhere out of sight."

He found an area where a tree and a few scrubs shielded us from view and came to a halt. I uncovered my GPS and looked at the target area, then the surroundings. The best position would be to the north, but that would put us on the wrong side for covering their extract. I held the screen where Vic could look as well. "Looks like a short ridge with a rock pile here," I pointed to the southwest. I traced the path we'd have to take; we couldn't get there before the car arrived. "Got it?"

Vic chuffed and moved out while I covered the GPS screen up again. I tucked my arms around his neck and held on while he ran through the night. It took us ten minutes to arrive, even after stopping a few times to sniff and scan for patrols. I set up my spotting scope while Vic shifted and dressed. "Any sight of Joaquin?"

"Drone didn't identify him. We've got four guards, two on the roof and two patrolling the outside of the house. The driver and guard went inside with Veronica and Nathan. The drone operator can't pick up heat signatures through the roof, so we don't know how many Cartel guards are inside."

"Nathan has visual on two guards and scents at least four in the house. They're in the dining room, waiting. Veronica has already glamoured the guards, so they won't be a problem."

"I forgot you have that link thing."

"It's why I have a Pack now. Don't tip off our minders about it, though." As far as the government knew, only Alphas could establish a Pack link. They didn't mention that a sufficiently dominant wolf, like Vic, could form a Pack bond. Vic said it was a Council decision, to head off any ideas about forming a Pack outside their organization. Like so many things I'd learned, I'd keep that secret to protect my friends.

All team werewolves were linked through him, though the others were too far away.

Vic had his Remington MSR sniper rifle in.308 Winchester out of the harness, with the stock locked in place. "Range?"

"Four hundred twenty-eight meters," I said as he spun the suppressor onto the end of the barrel. He'd just finished when he froze. "Target confirmed. Notify Jerry and Eagle we are a go and to get in position." Jerry was our emergency extract, sitting with a helicopter at the airport in Ensenada. I called him first, giving the location of the extract zone so he could get in the air. I only had to tell Eagle to standby; he'd go on our signal.

Vic was in position with his rifle by the time my calls finished. I hadn't seen anything on the spotting scope, though I did verify with the drone operator that I did not have eyes on the 'Heavy' (high-value target). "Notify Eagle we're taking out the guards and they can go. Veronica has the people inside handled and doesn't want interruptions during her talk with Joaquin." I got on the horn while watching through the scope as Vic went to work. The first shot took out the nearest roof guard; before they could react, he'd already sent a round into the chest of the second. The guards on the ground were yelling into their radios as they went for cover, but it didn't help. Seven seconds after he started, all four were down.

"

Verify all tangoes down,"

I radioed to the drone pilot.

"

No movement,"

came the response a few seconds later.

Vic was already breaking down his rifle and stowing it. "Veronica is still busy, but the underlings are dead." We started packing up the gear. "Where's Spider Monkey?"

"He never had her," Vic replied. "He admitted to sending the team to Arrowhead after Rori for the money. The ransom note was dictated to him, but he had no interest in Spidey directly."

"Then who did?"

"That's what I want to know."

We sat for another five minutes until the door opened. Veronica pushed Joaquin Felix out the front door and watched him walk into the middle of the courtyard. He looked around, even looking at the sky, his profile well illuminated in the lights. "

Heavy is confirmed visually,"

I radioed in.

Veronica raised a pistol and squeezed off a single shot. It hit Joaquin in the back of the head, blowing his brain matter over the stone patio. He dropped to the ground and didn't move. "

Heavy eliminated."

"Roger that. Cleared to extract, no nearby activity."

"Time to go." I saw a bright light out of the corner of my eye and turned to look. Vic saw the same thing, but he reacted differently. "MISSILE!" Vic dropped his gear, grabbed me, and dove into a low area between two of the big boulders. I hit hard on my left shoulder and cried out in pain.

Then all hell broke loose.

I saw a bright flash and felt the earth shaking. Vic pulled me to the corner and covered me with his body. Two seconds later, it was our turn.

Chapter 16

Dawn Maida's POV

Staging Point near Cartel Warehouse, Ensenada, Baja California

Monday, August 10

th

, 2020

"

Eagle, we have a problem,"

I heard over the radio. I recognized Caddyshack's voice from our briefings at the house. He was spotting for Burner, the team's sniper, on a nearby rooftop.

"

What's going on?"

"There's a bus approaching the warehouse entrance. It's full of girls, and I've got four hostile males and one female coming out to meet it. I make three hostiles on the bus."

Eagle looked over at me. "How many girls were on your bus when you arrived?"

"Thirty or so," I said. "It varied. The next bus had forty-two, I counted when they came into the room."

"Shit." He looked at his men. He picked up the radio. "

Maintain surveillance but do NOT engage. We can't go on our own."

"Roger that, OP out."

I looked around the room at Eagle's team. Dale, Hollywood, Michael, and Churro were nervously tapping their feet or weapons. The worst part about the plan was that we couldn't go until Mistress's group verified the Cartel Leader's presence and began their attack. Eagle had explained how that meant we couldn't pick the best time to go. It made the men's job more dangerous.

Hollywood saw me shaking. "Dawn? You all right?"

I nodded nervously. "Flashbacks."

Eagle looked over. "What happens with the girls when the bus arrives?"

"The guards are yelling at you to get up and get off the bus. I followed the line inside. One of the guards scanned my wristband, then a nurse gave me a quick check and drew my blood. After that, the guards take you to the room. If you're lucky."

"What do you mean," Dale asked.

"Fresh meat. The guards would take their favorites to a room and rape them."

No one said much after that. Caddyshack updated us that the bus was empty, and still parked in front of the entrance. I was crying, knowing what those poor girls were going through as the minutes passed. The others were nervously waiting for the go signal so they could put a stop to the abuse.

Eagle came over to my side but knew better than to touch me right now. We were all on edge. "When the girls arrive, do all the guards participate? Do they get drunk?"

"Drunk and high, but some of them stay on duty. They will swap in a few hours."

He looked at the map I'd drawn. "The rooms they use, are they along this hallway?" I nodded as he picked up the radio. "

Diamond, be advised to expect multiple hostiles in the southwest corridor rooms in the company of friendlies. Hostiles may be drunk or high."

"We're ready for them, Eagle."

I could hear the anger in his voice. Everyone knew what those rooms were for.

The minutes ticked by. We knew each passing moment meant the nightmare for the selected girls continued, or another girl was pulled out and raped. The tension was thick in the room.

Twenty minutes elapsed before Eagle's phone rang. "

Eagle, we are a go. Stand by for signal."

The knot in my stomach flipped; luckily, I hadn't eaten anything. I couldn't believe I was back at this warehouse of horrors again, but Mistress was insistent. I knew the insides, and I might know some of the girls. She sent Hector as my bodyguard. The former Mexican Special Forces operator was clad in black from head to toe plus body armor and weapons everywhere, just like the others in our team. I was in black as well, including a bulletproof vest and Kevlar helmet, but no guns. I had a medical kit on my back instead.

My job was to escort the girls out to the bus quickly and quietly as soon as the bad guys were down.

Eagle passed the standby command to the sniper team and Black Diamond's team on the back side of the warehouse. All around me, weapons were checked, masks pulled down over faces, and prayers were said. Taking on a Cartel stronghold full of violent men was dangerous business. There was a good chance some would not return.

Hector opened the garage door in our hideout as Eagle's team loaded into their SUV. I got into the passenger seat of the cargo van parked behind it. Hector got in next to me. We both turned on the radios attached to our gear in front. Hector had me put the earpiece in my left ear, and an earplug in the other. "It's going to be loud," he said.

It didn't take long. Allison must have called, because Eagle broadcasted the "GO GO GO" command to all teams. His SUV took off. Hector put it in gear, following at a distance. "We don't want to arrive until they've taken out the bad guys outside," he explained.

I could hear the gunfire as we pulled up next to the bus. Burner's rifle made little coughs, while the pistols and rifles of the assault teams were much louder and closer. I got out, grabbing the back of Hector's gear as he moved to the front of the bus. "They're inside," he told me. He started fast-walking towards the doorway, his rifle scanning the surroundings. I stayed close, ignoring the men Burner had taken out with head shots by the door.

The gunfire was still going on inside. Hector followed the sounds toward the holding area, but didn't have to fire. Eagle radioed all hostiles down, followed shortly by Black Diamond. Hector pulled out his ear plug, so I did the same. "Come on."

I remembered the door, though now it was hanging on its hinges. Inside was chaos. Churro was speaking rapidly in Spanish to the captives while the others were checking the dead guards. I pulled my mask off. "Estas segura ven conmigo (You're safe, come with me)," I yelled.

The frightened girls looked up at me in shock. "Estas viva (You're alive)," one said with wide eyes. I recognized Mariana; the ten-year-old had been here a while.

I nodded as I approached, reaching out to pull a few to their feet. Churro stood by the door while the brave ones ran for freedom. She was crying as the girls ran past the dead guards to freedom. "I need your backpack," Michael said as he ran up.

I shrugged it off with my vest. "Who got hurt?"

"Hollywood's dead. Eagle's hit in the thigh. We'll take care of him. You get the girls out." Oh, God! Churro must have seen her husband die in front of her! How is she still functioning?

It took some encouragement to get the last ones moving. The doors were open to the outside. I could hear Maria and Lucas outside, directing the girls on the tour bus Mistress rented. When I got on, I could see the problem. Girls were sitting on each other's laps, and a few injured ones were stretched out on the floor. "How many?"

"Eighty-seven," Lucas answered. "The bus that showed up had another thirty-two."

Maria closed the door and put the bus in gear. I looked out at the van in time to see four men carrying Hollywood's bloody corpse to the back. Eagle was behind them, his leg wrapped in a battle dressing. Dale supported his wounded side. "What now?"

"They'll meet Mistress Veronica at the jet," Maria said. "Hector has a van stashed so they can dump their gear and burn everything."

I turned my attention to the girls while we drove through the dark streets. I could hear sirens behind us, and it took a few minutes before I knew we'd gotten away. I explained to the girls that they had been rescued from the Cartel. The abuse they'd suffered was over now. My friends were going to put them on a plane to the United States, where they would be free.

Some girls cheered, while others cried in happiness. Some held each other, still in shock from their abuse. Most wouldn't believe they were free until we landed.

Maria had been thinking ahead, bringing some extra clothes along. I passed out the clean T-shirts and shorts we had. There were enough to replace the worst of the torn and soiled ones they'd been wearing.

It was a ninety-minute drive north to the international airport at Tijuana, so we didn't arrive until almost one in the morning. Maria drove to the charter terminal entrance, where two women boarded. One I'd seen on the teleconference, a middle-aged woman called Three Tequila, wearing jeans and a Harley-Davidson T-shirt with a Steel Ladies cut. The other was from the American Embassy. "Jesus," the woman in the pantsuit said. "You rescued all of them?"

"Yes. You have their papers?"

She nodded. "The Mexican government agreed to let us take an unknown number of children. It's more people than we expected, but there's enough room on the plane. We'll process them when you land in Las Vegas. For now, let me do the talking." The gate opened, and we drove to a Boeing 767 on the tarmac. Mexican officials took names of the girls and removed their Cartel wristbands as they loaded onto the planes. Soon, I was the only teen left on the bus. "Go with them," Maria told me. "Mistress will contact you when it is safe to return."

"Thank you," I said as I hugged my friend. "Tell her thank you."

"I will. Go."

I walked off the bus, wiping my tears before I reached the stairs. I wasn't the only one crying; the flight attendants had red eyes, and the Captain looked like he'd been punched in the gut. "You helped free them?"

"I can't talk about it."

"You did a good thing. Grab a seat, and we'll be on our way."

Three Tequila was sitting in first class, across from the State Department woman. She patted the open seat by the window. I looked down the aisle at all the girls on the plane. The reality of their freedom was starting to sink in; they were looking out the windows and hugging each other. The flight attendants were checking seat belts as the door closed behind me. "They will be all right?"

"If we can find their families in the States, the authorities will reunite them. I've got dozens of Steel Ladies waiting in Vegas to foster the rest. The Club will make sure they get the treatment they need to live a good life." She put her hand on my knee. "That includes you, Dawn. Mongo and I will be happy to bring you into our home. You can go to school in Orlando, go to college, and make a new life for yourself."

It was so tempting. I used to dream about being in the America I saw on the television. I'd sworn an oath after my rescue, and I wasn't going to break it now. "Thank you, but I have a home with Mistress Maida. I'll be returning to her when she calls for me."

"And if Veronica releases you?"

"She will have to tell me that herself." I could tell she was disappointed. "I don't know when it will be safe to return. Did we take out Joaquin?"

"I don't know. Either way, a Cartel war is coming. It may be months until things settle down again. Can we take care of you until that happens?"

"I'd like that."

I was yawning before takeoff and rested my head against her shoulder as we climbed out. It felt good to be in her arms. "No one will hurt you again," I remember her saying before darkness took me.

Chapter 17

Jerry Biggs' POV

Helicopter East of Ensenada, Mexico

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

My rental Bell 206B helicopter took off as soon as I got Allison's call that the operation was a go. They must have seen Joaquin, or they'd have called it off. The night sky was empty as the pilot, using night vision, flew low over the hills to avoid radar. The sudden changes in direction when I couldn't see much out of the windshield were making my stomach flip. "Is this necessary?"

"There's a fucking Mexican Air Force base just south of town," he replied while banking left. "They could be here in ten minutes and will shoot down any aircraft they think is involved in running drugs. So YEAH, it's necessary. Now shut the fuck up and let me fly."

I did, watching the navigation display as we moved between the low peaks to the east. We were five kilometers out when I saw the bright flames descending from up high. "What's that?"